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From Humble Beginnings | The Young Captain | Le Lacheur & Co | Costa Rica – The Early Years
Costa Rica – Building a Nation | The Legacy

The Young Captain

There are no further records of William Le Lacheur until 1827, when he became Captain of the 111 ton brig St. GEORGE, which belonged to Vidamour & Co. Vessels of this size were plying routes between the Mediterranean, Spain, Madeira, or the Balearic Islands and England, to meet the increasing demand for fresh fruit. Coincidentally, the fruit market was also an important factor in the development of Guernsey’s glasshouse industry.

William married Rachel Le Messurier de Jersey, the daughter of Nicolas and of Marguerite Le Lacheur on 19 May 1828 at the Forest Church. Although his wife’s family lived in St Peter Port, the island’s capital and main harbour, it is possible that William and Rachel may have been related.

Guernsey had a relatively new network of military roads at that time, built by Sir John Doyle, Baronet, Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey. The network connected the Forest parish to St Peter Port, but it is possible that William chose to lodge with the De Jersey’s once he went to sea full time, as his boat would have berthed in St Peter Port harbour. Frequent travelling back and forth to the Forest would have taken up a lot of time.

It is likely that the newly married William and Rachel rented accommodation, as they do not appear in any contemporary record of house owners. Two years later, in 1830, William became Captain of the 55 ton cutter MINERVA. The boat belonged to Amlod & Co and worked the fruit trade between England, the Azores and Spain.

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